I'm disappointed by this news.
Use eCash all the time and think it's a great system.
Shame.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
e-cash goes at end of this season. Do you use it?
- Thread starter Goldstone1976
- Start date
I'm disappointed by this news.
Use eCash all the time and think it's a great system.
Shame.
Left Footer
Well-known member
I`ve always used it so I am disappointed that it`s being phased out.
10% cashback on a beer makes a difference to me.
It`s not going to stop me buying a beer but can`t see why it is being phased out.
Can`t really understand why people wouldn`t use it unless they have no intention of buying food/drink.
10% cashback on a beer makes a difference to me.
It`s not going to stop me buying a beer but can`t see why it is being phased out.
Can`t really understand why people wouldn`t use it unless they have no intention of buying food/drink.
Presumably the club has much better figures than this poll. I mean they know exactly how many sales are made, and to what value, using the e-cash system.
Another disappointed at the end of ecash. Used it since we moved to the Amex. I just take my season ticket to the match. No cash with me or card so no risk of losing either or getting wallet pinched. Plus it is so easy to use.
Moshe Gariani
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2005
- 12,101
Hopefully, in keeping with the overall transport strategy, some of the % discounts for earlier and later food/drink purchases will remain.
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
I can't see that. With the current system, the percentage gets taken care of by computers. Can you imagine the chaos if the poor hapless bar staff suddenly find they need to mix timekeeping with complex equations?
father_and_son
Well-known member
I'm sure that there is, without a doubt, a significant drop off in use of the ecard. But, to be honest, this was pretty obviously going to happen when the discount was scrapped/scaled back.
Also, I have no doubt that the vast majority of transactions made on match day fall below the limit for contactless (and when that goes to £30 soon, I'll doubt there are many transactions at all that couldn't be contactless).
What I think the club have got wrong is the behavioural element. From the comments here (I haven't even looked at the poll results) and from my own anecdotal observations in shops/supermarkets is that contactless doesn't have a huge take up. Many people don't have it, don't understand it and/or don't trust it and therefore won't be persuaded to use it just because it makes life easier for the bloke behind you in the queue.
I can't honestly see the proportion of customers using contactless being that much higher than the proportion using ecard and therefore, without re-introducing the discount, I can't see a step change in behaviour at the tills.
Switching from eCard to Contactless may be cheaper for the club in administration but I'm not sure it will do anything to help queues/processing times, etc because its fundamentally the same system as the one they are replacing.
I've always used eCash and will be sorry to see it go. I don't have a contactless card
In the same way the club must have done its sums about concourse opening / closing times, how many kiosks are open etc - I suppose it must make commercial sense?
In the same way the club must have done its sums about concourse opening / closing times, how many kiosks are open etc - I suppose it must make commercial sense?
It's a strange one this - I'm pretty sure all of those I go with pay by eCash.
It was third time lucky for me paying pre-match on Saturday. My round came to £20.20 - I presented my season ticket but it only had £15-somehting on it - for some reason the auto top-up stopped working for me - I'd set it to add another £30 when it fell below £20. I then went to pay contactless but, of course, I'd exceeded the £20 limit, just. I then paid with chip and PIN. It was quite early on and there were no queues so I didn't hold anyone else up with my rubbishness.
I would hope that contactless means we will be able to pay via ApplePay from our phones, when deployed to the UK later this year.
It was third time lucky for me paying pre-match on Saturday. My round came to £20.20 - I presented my season ticket but it only had £15-somehting on it - for some reason the auto top-up stopped working for me - I'd set it to add another £30 when it fell below £20. I then went to pay contactless but, of course, I'd exceeded the £20 limit, just. I then paid with chip and PIN. It was quite early on and there were no queues so I didn't hold anyone else up with my rubbishness.
I would hope that contactless means we will be able to pay via ApplePay from our phones, when deployed to the UK later this year.
Frampler
New member
I used it all the time in our first season at the Amex, as it meant you could join any queue (only some would handle cash, and fewer still would take credit/debit cards). The top up process worked well, and I usually hung around after games for a pint or two.
However, as time has gone on, I've found a combination of factors have led me to use it less and less. The 10% discount was withdrawn, and replaced by a graduated discount depending on how far away from kick off the purchase was made - a definite disincentive. The auto-top up system became unreliable, so I'd have to take cash or a debit card with me in the event that my funds were not showing. And I spend less time at the Amex on matchdays, meaning I spend less on food and drink.
Contactless bank and credit cards are the future, so the club is right to call time on the e-cash idea. Had the Amex opened a year later, I doubt they would have introduced e-cash in the first place.
However, as time has gone on, I've found a combination of factors have led me to use it less and less. The 10% discount was withdrawn, and replaced by a graduated discount depending on how far away from kick off the purchase was made - a definite disincentive. The auto-top up system became unreliable, so I'd have to take cash or a debit card with me in the event that my funds were not showing. And I spend less time at the Amex on matchdays, meaning I spend less on food and drink.
Contactless bank and credit cards are the future, so the club is right to call time on the e-cash idea. Had the Amex opened a year later, I doubt they would have introduced e-cash in the first place.
paul-brighton
New member
I don't think they are all cash only - but the change caught me out on Saturday. WSL had signs Cash Only or Cards Only. So I queued for ages to use my ecash card only to be told cash only also means ecash - why not just leave the signs as they were Cash and ecash only.......
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,332
What I've observed is that no one in shops/supermarkets uses the e-cash, for obvious reasons. but a great many use e-cash at Falmer. it stands to reason that those used to e-cash at Falmer with easily transfer to contactless, and allows those that dont have e-cash to use a quicker method than cash. the two seconds needed for 1 in 5 that might need to input a PIN doesn't seem likely to cause a substantial increase in queuing. as you say, they are fundamentally the same system, so it doesnt make alot of sense to persist with your own bespoke system when theres a universal one available. i'd wager theres a substantial cost saving behind this.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
popped into my local shop this morning, where they have contactless payments available.
I asked the lady approx. what % of people currently used it.
About 1 in 10 she replied.
I'm sure it will grow, but I can see much longer queues next season, and therfore less overall food/drink spend at the Amex.
I asked the lady approx. what % of people currently used it.
About 1 in 10 she replied.
I'm sure it will grow, but I can see much longer queues next season, and therfore less overall food/drink spend at the Amex.
father_and_son
Well-known member
I certainly see the sense in moving away from a bespoke system to something universally supported. I agree there will be cost savings... but then I think the 10s, may 100s of thousands of pounds sat idly in the eCash accounts could well have resulted in enough interest to support the system (?)
However, as noted above, the take up of the contactless sytem still isn't great and I see cash being the preferred payment method for a long time to come once eCard is removed. Therefore queues will get worse before they get any better!
HawkTheSeagull
New member
Never used it, but frequently use contactless where available - the change is positive for me.
Joe Gatting's Dad
New member
Persuaded us to use it and special section to be provided for speedy service. In practice, this has a not happened in WSU and some of the outlets do not take it at all.
Still have a wad of cash left on it, so only alternative is to have two pies a game to use it up!
Still have a wad of cash left on it, so only alternative is to have two pies a game to use it up!
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
father_and_son
Well-known member
I certainly see the sense in moving away from a bespoke system to something universally supported. I agree there will be cost savings... but then I think the 10s, may 100s of thousands of pounds sat idly in the eCash accounts could well have resulted in enough interest to support the system (?)
However, as noted above, the take up of the contactless sytem still isn't great and I see cash being the preferred payment method for a long time to come once eCard is removed. Therefore queues will get worse before they get any better!
BensGrandad
New member
Never use it cos I wont buy anything in the concourses. Took my nephews son Saturday and he bought a bottle of seven up and packet of Maltesers cost £5.80 total rip off.